COSAFA Cup Wrap: Zimbabwe and Zambia set for final showdown

Defending champions Zimbabwe will play Zambia in the COSAFA Cup final after both nations won their respective semi-finals on Wednesday.

The match will be a repeat of the 2009 final – the last time the tournament was held – which Zimbabwe won 3-1.

Zimbabwe booked their place in this year’s decider with a 2-1 win over Lesotho.

They conceded after just three minutes though, as Mofolo Matlepula scored an early goal for the losers.

Zimbabwe quickly responded thanks to Tendai Ndoro’s strike inside the box and after 25 minutes they hit the front.

Ndoro’s second was the all-important goal and after a goalless second half, Zimbabwe celebrated.

The day’s other match saw 2012 African Cup of Nations winners Zambia defeat South Africa 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

Neither side could score in the 90 minutes of normal time, or 30 minutes of extra time, forcing the match to penalties.

Zambia showed nerves of steel, scoring all five of their spot-kicks, with Lerato Chabangu’s miss proving costly for South Africa.